Lucky
by Waning Lightz
Summary: Formerly called Apologize. Post-Hime fic. Nao finds herself trapped in an alley and is rescued by someone she'd never expect to come to her aid.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all, **

**This is my first-fic so be gentle, this had originally been two separate chapters but then my fic got deleted, so I decided to fix it up a bit. **

**Enjoy the ShizNao-ness. I've also got a few more fic ideas, with other parings as well, but will get around to it when I get stuck on this one…or get sick of writing it. I'm open to critisim so please tell me if you don't like anything and I'll try and work on it…**

**ABOUT THE STORY: It's Post-Hime, and all the Himes have lost the ability to call on their Childs', however they can still use their elements. Takes place one year after the Hime Festival. Story was previously called 'Apologize.' I've combined the first two chapters. Nao finds herself trapped in an alley and is rescued by someone she'd never expect to come to her aid. How will this ffect both their lives?**

**I do not own MaiHime. Now, on with the story!**

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_Shit its late_. She found herself turning into a dark alley. Sensible women did not usually walk out of well-lit streets and into dark alleys, especially at this godforsaken hour. However, Nao Yukki had never been very sensible and although she did not look it; she was hardly a woman either.

At fifteen years old, Nao had developed faster than most of her fellow female classmates in certain areas; and often used her more mature appearance to her advantage. She regularly wore provocative clothing to further accentuate her well-developed curves in order to gain attention; yet it was usually her glowing lime coloured eyes, or rose-tinted hair that everyone noticed upon first meeting her.

She spotted a flickering lamp-post several feet away.

Taking out a number of wallets from the backpack she was carrying, the girl stood under the lamp-post counting all the money she had collected from her "hunting" earlier that day.

Nao preferred to think of herself as a huntress; spotting her "prey", which would typically be an older gentleman looking to have a good time with younger girl such as herself. She would use her feminine wiles to ease them into trusting her and then use her Hime powers to paralyze them and take their money.

Thief was such a petty term…besides she was no ordinary thief; what she did could be called art.

"_Serves them right anyway, they probably wouldn't care if I told them I was a freshman in high-school, hell they'd probably like me even more; perverts."_ It was Karma really, and who was she to prevent Karma from delivering what those men truly deserved.

She discarded all but one wallet into a nearby garbage can, putting all the money that she had counted into the remaining wallet and putting that in her bag.

"28,000 YEN **(1)**, not bad for a day's work," she murmured out loud; grinning.

She had conned three men into following her into dark alleys such as the one she was standing in currently, and as soon as they decided to get a little too frisky she would call on her Hime element and allow her nails to grow, then dig them into her "prey," letting the poison flow through her nails and into their bloodstream; knocking them unconscious.

"Soon, I'll have 'nuff to help mom," she continued muttering to herself as her thoughts returned once again to the money she had collected. She began walking out from under the light. Even though the events of the carnival had concluded without anyone being harmed, Nao's mother was still in the hospital and her medical bills still needed to be paid.

Nao had taken two steps before she froze, a wave of panic beginning to go up her spine.

She was not alone.

Quickly looking around, she scanned the dark corners of the alley with her eyes. She had been too distracted with counting the money to notice that she had been followed. Although she could not see anything, her Hime senses told her that there was someone out there…or more than one person…

"Crap, crap, crap! I may or may not be surrounded. Fantastic…" she drew her nails out as she stood up straight hoping the fear she felt would not betray her voice. "Hey you, whoever you are," she shouted as she crouched into a battle stance, continuing to sound braver then she actually felt "Why don't you leave the stalking-thing to us professionals, since you so clearly suck at it."

A figure stepped out of the shadows.

It was a familiar looking old man holding a gun in his right hand, and pointing at her with his left. He looked past her and yelled, "That's the bitch who stole my wallet, boys!"

Ah, yes. Leave it to her to piss off a man who owned a gun.

"Stole is such a crude way of putting it…besides I think I deserve that money considering how long I had to put up with your B.O. before I knocked you out." was the reply she gave him as she licked her lengthy red nails.

"Careful boys, those nails are full of some type of poison," he said just as five figures came out of the darkness. They had her surrounded, each of them also armed with a gun.

_Wow the old fart isn't as stupid as he looks_…_ he brought a lot of backup_ she looked at the men apprehensively. They all wore matching black suits and black ties, just as the old man had on. Each carried the same pistol. "Aren't you a little too old to be in a gang grandpa?" she laughed as she tried to quickly asses if there was any way she could get of this unharmed.

Although her voice had not wavered, Nao was beginning to feel very afraid.

She was surrounded by 6 men, all of whom who were armed. She could not successfully attack all of them at the same time, and as soon as she went after some – it would give others the opportunity they needed to shoot her.

Sensing her hesitation to attack the old man lowered his gun and began to move slightly closer. With a sinister grin he indicated to his men to move closer as well, unfortunately they did not lower their guns like he had. "Now, why don't we finish what we started off earlier today, hmm?" he slurred.

The circle of men around her began to get smaller as they moved closer. Nao's heart began beating at an unbearably rapid rate; once again she tried to keep her voice from wavering as she spoke. "How about we call this whole thing off eh? You can have your money back as soon as you lemme go...we can work something out…"

This caused the old man to let out a cruel laugh, which was soon followed by all of the men laughing at her maliciously. "Oh I'll be getting my money back little girl," he said, putting his gun in the waist-band of his pants. He bent down and reached at something in a small case tied around his ankle. He removed a small jagged knife from its case and laughed as he barked "…We will also be taking some interest…"

Nao felt the two men behind her grab her wrists and put a gun to the back of her head. Another had clamped over her mouth before she could let out a scream. She bit down on the hand as hard she could, and tasted a steel flavoured liquid on the tip of her tongue. As he let go of her mouth Nao let out a deafening scream.

She soon felt a blow to the back of her head as the man she had bit into hit her with the back of his gun, causing her to fall face-forward onto the floor.

"Stupid bitch, I'm going to make you pay for that" yelled the dark figure that was now towering over her. Kicking her stomach, he forced her to turn on her back.

She let out a yelp and closed her eyes fearing the assault that would soon take place. She held her breath. She thought of her mother in the hospital; the only person who had truly loved her was lying bandaged on a hospital bed and in a coma. Would anyone notice if she were to die here in this dark alley?

She didn't think so.

And she only had herself to blame. It was her choice to remain detached from the world, from everyone around her. Even when the other Hime's extended an offer of friendship to her after the events of the carnival, she had just coolly walked off.

She found her unshed tears were beginning to sting the back of her eyes. But she was determined not cry, she did not want to give these the satisfaction of seeing her tears. _Why though?_

She shouldn't care whether these men saw her cry, that her heart was beating so fiercely that she was sure everyone within a twelve block radius could hear it. She didn't care… She was going to die. Nothing mattered now.

She had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts it had taken her a while to realise that the assault she was expecting had not happened yet. She had blocked out the surrounding environment and closed herself off when she thought she was going to die. Opening her eyes she saw that the men surrounding her were all on the floor near the entrance of the alleyway.

"What's going on? Who's there?" she heard the old man yell as he crawled further into the dark corner from which he had entered from.

"I do believe she asked you to let her go…," said the feminine voice of her savoir.

"_That accent…it can't be…"_ Nao quickly turned around and found those familiar crimson eyes.

Nao stared at the dark figure that stood at the entrance of the alleyway, surrounded by the unconscious bodies of the men who had been attacking her moments ago. The flash of crimson was all that could be seen of the figure as the shadowed person opened their eyes.

She didn't need to see the figure under the dim light of the flickering lamp to know who it was; if the accent hadn't given it away…

Those glowing eyes definitely would have

_Why is Fujino Here?_

The only noise Nao could hear was the clicking of the former President's heeled boots as she walked further into the alley, stepping on any of the bodies that lay in her path. Her pace was slow - as if every-step she was taking was deliberate; which only added to the already chilling air surrounding her. As she drew closer to the lamp-light Nao could see that in her hand was the memorable red weapon she had wielded so fiercely during the Hime competition.

Nao felt an ache of fear in her stomach as Shizuru walked towards her with the weapon in her hands. It had not been too long ago that Nao had been at the receiving end of the brunette's malicious rampage, and although she would never admit it aloud to anyone; the crimson eyed girl still frightened her…a little. _Just a tiny, miniscule bit. _

_A practically microscopic amount. _And it took a lot to scare Nao Yukki, let alone give her nightmares for three months.

She was snapped out of her thoughts as her eye caught the cowering figure of the old man who had been threatening her with his knife. The moron had cornered himself into a corner with no means of escape. He began crying out for someone to save him as Shizuru began to move closer towards him. If she had thought Shizuru looked terrifying, Nao struggled to imagine how frightened the people Shizuru saved her from would be.

_Saved…_

A shiver shot up her spine as the thought had clicked into place. The older girl had **saved **her. Shizuru had put herself in a dangerous situation to save her.

Suddenly the ache of fear she had felt at the bottom of her stomach turned to a pang of guilt. Although she had told the older girl she had "forgiven" her for the actions she had taken during the Hime festival, Nao had not truly meant it. She had wanted the Himes to leave her alone after the festival had ended; she wanted to forget it had all happened…so she told them what they wanted to hear.

She still harboured some of the hate she had felt for the former president, even a year later. Now here was the subject of all that loathing; saving her life.

_Well it's not like she knew it was me before she stepped into this mess…_

Nao saw that Shizuru had now stopped a few feet away from the old man as she raised her crimson staff over her shoulder, reeling it back behind her head as if she were about to strike. She then forced it forward over her head and cast it toward the old man. The spear-like object extended into a chain, swiftly winding its way toward her opponent. Capturing him it began coiling around him like an anaconda, tightly squeezing him. The old man found himself being lifted off the ground and dragged rapidly towards her. Whipping the weapon towards herself, Shizuru closed the gap between them, stopping him five inches away from her face.

She turned towards the side of his face and whispered something into his ear. The man nodded vigorously in agreement, "ANYTHING. PLEASE JUST LET ME GO!" he pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

Shizuru smirked; and even in the dim flickering light Nao could see those radiant eyes held something resembling a glint of amusement enter them. "As you wish…" she said.

Those were the last words Nao heard before she witnessed the old man being swung violently across the alley way and into the window of the store across the street. Almost immediately following the loud crash, the sounds of the store's alarm system could be heard blaring through the previously silent neighbourhood.

Nao's head was hurting, and the pain she felt was only deepened by thoughts of the Fukka City Police Department arriving at the scene. She had never had the best track record with the police, even before her mother was hospitalized; but lately her nightly _activities_ had been gaining more attention then she would have liked. If she was caught tonight…the police had warned her in the past that social services would have to get involved…

Nao blinked. Shizuru was now standing over her with her hand extended towards Nao. _Great, I probably look completely pathetic right now _she thought as she realized she was still in the same position she had been in while she was being attacked. Choosing to ignore the hand reaching out to her, she got up and dusted herself off with her back towards Shizuru.

Nao took this opportunity to compose herself; closing her glistening eyes, she tried to catch her breath. A sudden wave of exhaustion hit her coupled by the realization of just how much of a close call she had just survived. What would have happened had Shizuru not come – she didn't want to think about it. The back of her head was already throbbing, her chest hurt with each gulp of air she took. She felt as though her heart was going to beat right out of her chest.

A hand grasped her shoulder; giving it a reassuring squeeze. She allowed herself to relax into it for brief moment and relish being comforted, before shrugging it off. She turned around quickly, facing Shizuru Fujino for the first time in nearly a year. Although the older girl had not changed physically, Nao could barely recognize the woman now standing in front of her.

Shizuru was dressed in dark blue hip-hugger jeans and a dark crimson tube top that could almost rival her eyes, finishing her outfit was a black denim jacket. Nao had never seen her out of her school uniform or a traditional kimono.

Nao saw that the former President was also staring at her with the same captivated gaze. She shook her head, trying to stop feeling so light headed, ending the impromptu staring contest that had befallen them. Clearing her throat she tried to regain what little dignity she had left.

"What the hell are you doing here Fujino?" Her voice did not carry as much bark as she would have liked it to, but she was starting to get lightheaded and that was the closest thing to a snarl as she could muster. She blamed it on being hit on the head with a fucking pistol.

Although her voice feigned hurt, Nao could once again see that glint of amusement in her eyes as she spoke "Is that how you Yukki-san repays me for saving her life? How mean..." Shizuru skilfully completed this with a pout.

Nao snorted. _Who does she think I am, Kuga?_

Sending a glare towards the older woman she responded with a growl. "No one asked you for help. I could've handeled it!" She growled as she clenched her fists.

Ah yes, there was the bark she had been missing earlier.

There was an awkward silence as Shizuru closed her eyes as she put a finger to her chin. She seemed to think about something for few seconds, before opening her eyes once again. "I am sure you could have Yukki-san, I only helped you because I was worried that you would hurt them when you got free." She paused before smiling brightly, "We would not want you going to jail for multiple murder charges now...Nao."

Nao's eyebrow twitched at hearing the pun on her name and she cringed internally. _Somehow I thought Fujino would be above that obvious joke…guess I gave her too much credit. _

She could see the smile on the brunette widen. Nao knew that the crimson eyed woman was trying to force a reaction out of her. Or maybe sidetrack her from her earlier question?

Either way Nao would not let the former Student Council President manipulate her.

_Why would she be here so late anyway_? This was hardly a neighbourhood in which she thought the sole daughter of the esteemed Fujino family should be, and certainly not at such an ungodly hour.

Shizuru raised an eyebrow at Nao's thoughtful expression.

Nao looked her in the eye as she asked the question a second time. However, this time she made sure to keep her voice soft as to not let the woman know she was affecting her. "What are you doing here Fujino?"

Shizuru plastered a smile on her face once more and spoke in her usual Kyoto-drawl, "Ara, I was just passing by when I heard voices..."

Snorting, Nao turned to away from her, fixing her gaze to the moon. The clouds that had been covering it previously had moved on, and the sky became clearer; lighting up the alley slightly. _Why is she being so difficult?_

"It's late Fujino, probably way past your bed time." Her reply was met with a giggle from the older girl.

"Ara, and how would Yukki-san know what my bed time is, is there something she is not telling me perha–" Shizuru's teasing retort was interrupted by Nao, who had turned away from the gleaming moon and was now staring very intently into Shizuru's eyes.

"Cut the crap Fujino and tell me already, we both know this is a long way from where you live...," the harshness of her voice had even startled her into silence once she ended the sentence. Sure, the older girl had been deflecting her question, but she had saved her life. _I shouldn't be acting like this…even if she IS annoying. _

Nao could feel her heartbeat quicken, thumping harder then she had ever remembered. Her breath began becoming more laboured and the banging in her head grew more severe. She was determined not to let the brunette notice any of this.

Slowly making her way to the wall of the closest building she leaned against it, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. Looking back up at the brunette, she noticed that the she looking intently at the ground rather than meeting her eyes.

She heard a soft sigh escape the former president's lips.

"....the truth is Yukki-san, I was following you," the words were said so faintly that Nao had barely heard them.

_Following…? _

Nao winced as the banging in her head grew louder. She began getting very woozy. _I seriously need to get home…_

Taking advantage of the awkward break in conversation; she pushed herself off the wall, and tried to make her way out of the alley.

"I'm leaving… " was all she muttered as she passed Shizuru.

"No wait, Yukki-san just let me explain...," Nao heard Shizuru's footsteps following her, and tried to speed up her pace. This was made increasingly difficult as her legs were now getting weaker with each step she took. _Shit, they hit me harder than I thought…when I get my hands on those bastards..._

Miscalculating a step, Nao found herself falling forwards unable to find her footing. She put her hands out and braced herself for impact as she toppled over. She heard a shout from behind her, as she felt one of her wrists being grabbed. She collided with something softer then the floor before falling to her knees. Exhaling Nao looked up to find concerned crimson orbs looking down at her.

Shizuru had caught her mid-fall and was now also on her knees holding the younger girl against her chest.

"Are you alright…Nao?" She could hear the thick tone of worry that laced the brunette's voice.

Nao felt herself slowly being manuvered to stand up as Shizuru held onto her; carrying most of her own weight. She was being moved towards the wall of the building closest to them. Shizuru gently lowered her down so that she was sitting with her back against the wall.

Nao noticed that she then busied herself thoroughly examining the damage that Nao had sustained. She saw the red eyes scan her face, and spotted a faint frown form on her lips. _I must look really bad if I made Fujino wipe that everlasting smile off her face._

She saw that the brunette had now propped herself up on her knees to check her head. Nao blushed deeply, and was glad the former president could not see it. Shizuru's chest was literally centimetres away from her face as the older woman bent forwards in order to get a better look at the top of her head. Nao struggled to keep her face from resembling a tomato. Looking away, Nao decided to focus all her attention on the garbage bin that was now across from her.

She heard a soft gasp from above her and felt one of the brunette's hands in her hair. She then felt the throbbing of her head increase as Shizuru touched a particularly tender area of her head. Nao winced and took a sharp breath.

She felt Shizuru's hands hastily leave her hair, and was bewildered by the amount of concern she saw etched in the other girls face as she looked down at her. "You have a head wound," Nao heard her state softly and found herself thinking _No duh, _sheheard Shizuru continue"we should really get you to a hospital…"

"No!" was Nao's abrupt reply. She cringed. _That was too fast she'll figure out something's up…_

"Why not?" she tilted her head curiously and looked into Nao's eyes before continuing, "You need medical attention…you could have a concussion."

Nao huffed.

She could not bring herself to tell Shizuru the truth, even if she had saved her life. She could not bring herself to tell **anyone** that her mother was in the hospital in a coma and that she was now living in their small cramped apartment by herself; barely making rent. That she had been conning despicable men out of their money to cover her mother's medical bills and to put food in her stomach. That she now had nobody to take care of her, and if the authorities found out they would send her into foster care.

It was a dismal way to live, and too embarrassing to let anyone know.

Nao looked pleadingly into Shizuru's eyes trying to convey what she was feeling without telling her; hoping she would let it go if the brunette saw how adamant she was. "No doctors just please…" she stopped before too much emotion reached her voice. She tried to change the subject before she became too vulnerable"…just…tell me why you were following me."

Shizuru stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. She saw Shizuru's eyes roam her face; studying her expression …_she's probably trying to figure out what I'm thinking. _

"Well I had been at Club Imperial with some friends when I saw you…" she admitted after an extended silence.

Nao waited for her to continue. After a long pause in the conversation, she prompted her to explain further by pointing out that club was nearly 6 blocks away.

"Yes, I am aware it's six blocks away…I just wanted to know if were okay," came the former president's gentle reply and again her apparent concern caught Nao off-guard once more.

_So she had known it was me who was in trouble…and she still risked her life? _Nao began to feel something ache in her chest, but could not put her finger on what or why. She began to get nervous.

"I don't need you to take care of me," was her curt response to Shizuru's concern.

The brief statement did not seem to affect Shizuru, "Ara, I know you don't need me to take care of you, but right now, I want to…"

"Well I don't need or want yo-" Nao found she had lost her voice when the brunette leaned her face closer towards hers until their noses were almost touching. Nao could feel a small blush reach her cheeks at the close proximity.

Shizuru let out a giggle before sighing once more. A small smile graced her lips as Nao heard her determined tone, "I am not going to leave you here by yourself in this condition, so don't make this more difficult then it has to be…"

She saw Shizuru move towards her left side and push her head under she her arm, so that now it was around Shizuru's shoulders. "Ready to get up?" she asked.

Once Nao nodded in confirmation, Shizuru helped her to her feet. She heard the former President speak again; but she had difficulty trying to make out anything she was saying.

Nao found herself stop and turn towards the older girl, almost stumbling. She held onto the wall for support.

"Why are you being so nice?" she asked, her voice sounding more strained and tired then she thought she had been. She looked the chestnut haired woman in the eyes. Nao had been puzzled for ever since she had come to her rescue.

Why would the woman she had been fighting to the death with only a year ago be willing to go this far to take care of her?

Her question was met with silence.

Shizuru broke their eye contact and stared at the moon, before answering. "During the festival I took your world away from you," she paused turning back to Nao, her eyes turning glassy "and I can't take that back…"

It had been the first time Nao had seen the former president show any sign of weakness, and she felt a twinge of remorse for causing it…all Shizuru had done was save her life, and here she was being a pain in her…

"Shizuru…" Nao interjected trying to stop her from continuing, she did not want her to recall the past she had been trying to forget. "…I forgave you…"

Shizuru shook her head forcefully, "But it doesn't take away the pain I caused…..or the guilt I feel," and Nao suddenly became aware of just how defeated the older girl looked, like she had given up on something…no one was aware she was fighting for,_ or against._

Nao saw the features on her face morph into a determined expression, "None of us can change out past mistakes, but I can help you now…" She paused, slipping her head under my arm and around her shoulders once again.

Getting fainter, Nao allowed her to carry all of her weight and guide her out of the alley as she heard the girl speak once again, "How about we get you home hmm?"

"Sure, but only 'cause you insist," was the redhead's slightly slurred response.

**

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A/N: Okay so my story got deleted which I thought was really fortunate because I wanted to make some changes anyway. I've combined my first two chapters, so it's a little longer. **

**A big thank you to the past reviewers, you're names got deleted so I can't name all of you right now. But thanks for the support. **

**I tried to slow down the pace of the ShizNao relationship…tell me if I'm still going too fast. **

**More to come soon. I'm already half way done the second chapter.**

**(1) Around $300**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys. So here's a sort of mini-update till I get back home for the summer. It's kind of a filler chapter and I haven't edited it properly…but I felt like I needed to post something, lol. The story will get better soon, promise.**

**I don't own anything. **

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Shizuru sat in the back row of the lecture hall; unequivocally bored. She had finished her exams and all of her classes had ended weeks ago.

Well, most of them.

The Kyoto-born native did not see the reasoning behind her Japanese History professor assigning a report to them so late into the term. Not only blindsiding them with an unfortunate topic, but also making class attendance mandatory to all students; and such pointless classes as well.

Shizuru inwardly groaned as the professor asked yet another student to read from the text book. She really did not need to be there. She had already finished reading the textbook and completed her report. Sadly, her professor would not accept anything before the deadline.

Shizuru tried to suppress her giggling as she heard light snoring come from her left. She turned towards her long-time friend and tried to nudge the dark haired boy awake; her attempts only making him murmur and snore louder. Letting him be, she picked up her phone off of her desk and glanced at the time. They had 20 minutes of class remaining. She released a subtle yawn, even though she was sure no one could see her. She was too far up for the professor to notice and everyone around her seemed to have their heads on their desks.

She was still tired from the events of the previous night. She had not slept. Even long after she had gotten home and into bed, she had spent the remainder of the night…or morning rather, thinking about all that she had discovered. Sighing, she went over the events in her head once again.

**

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****- Flashback -**

Unlocking the front door of the apartment, Shizuru pushed it open with her foot, urgently carrying an unconscious Nao inside. Quickly glancing around; she spotted a sofa in the living room and carried the young redhead towards it. Placing her gently on the sofa, Shizuru looked around the small apartment noticing that the kitchen and living room were actually connected. Her eyes caught sight of the refrigerator.

_I may need ice in case her head is swelling. _

She quickly made her way to the fridge, opening it forcibly. She raised an eyebrow at how vacant of contents it was except for a carton of milk and a few eggs. There was no ice…or anything really.

Closing the fridge door she tried to think of an adequate substitute. Turning to the side, Shizuru glimpsed a wash cloth on the kitchen counter next to the sink. Grabbing it, she ran it under cold water while trying to collect her thoughts.

She had not expected that this was how her night was going to turn out when Haruka had suggested that they - they being Haruka herself, Shizuru and Reito –should go to Club Imperial as a celebration for successfully completing their first year of Fuka University. Truthfully Haruka was the only one in the trio to have completely finished their first year; Shizuru and Reito still had one class to complete that had started later than the others that semester.

Haruka's response was for them to not get so caught up in the "_technologies." _Shizuru had just inwardly chuckled at the blonde's attempt to say technicalities; she and Reito had stopped trying to correct her long ago. The trio had become quiet close after graduating Fuka Academy; forming a post-almost-apocalypse-bond. They looked after one another in their new environment.

Had it been anyone else who had asked her to go out that night; Shizuru would have effortlessly refused. She would have much rather been at home, having a quiet evening indoors, drinking tea and reading a book, then at some pretentious club listening to that god-awful music.

But it had been Haruka who had asked, and Shizuru found that she was unable to refuse anything asked by the golden haired girl since the festival had concluded.

How could she say no to someone she had killed about something so trivial?

Although all had been forgiven; Shizuru still found herself walking on eggshells when it came to the people she had harmed during the festival, even if they hardly saw it through her mask…She had kept her emotions in line; never showing the guilt or the remorse she felt for her actions towards the other Himes.

It had been an unspoken agreement between all of them. Forgive and forget; with an emphasis on forget. They all wanted to move past the events, and anything that would drudge up the past was considered a taboo topic. So Shizuru had kept her guilt and remorse to herself ever since the carnival had ended.

Except tonight…

For some inexplicable reason she had followed Nao into that dark alley when she had seen her walking across the street as she was waiting outside the club for the cab that would take her home. She had also felt the need to take off the mask that she usually wore and allow the younger girl to see the remorse she had been feeling in the alley.

_Perhaps it was the all the alcohol Haruka insisted I have._ She thought as she walked back to where the redhead slept, with the cold, wet cloth in her hand.

When she got to the sofa, the brunette took in the sight of the now slumbering form of the younger girl.

Shizuru felt a pull on her heart-strings as she looked at Nao's face; the redhead looked so peaceful that she almost did not want to wake her up…

Almost.

_She could have a concussion and fall into a coma, _Shizuru reminded herself. _I should call Tokiha-san and ask for __Sagisawa-san's number. _

She knew she had promised Nao she would not call the paramedics or take her to the hospital on their walk to the apartment, but there was no way she could let the girl fall asleep without being checked out by a medical professional.

But first she needed to wake her up.

Shizuru called the redhead's name a couple of times before getting on her knees next to the head of the sofa. She put her hands on the girl's shoulders and tried to shake her awake; Nao merely grunted and continued slumbering.

Shizuru pondered what would wake her up. Hesitantly; she leaned into the girl's ear, knowing what she was going to do would be slightly inappropriate considering she really did not know Nao all that well.

_No… _she thought, mentally shaking her head. Normally this would be how she would wake Natsuki up if she ever overslept after they would have one of their movie-night sleepovers. But Natsuki was her best-friend and despite everything that had happened, Natsuki knew when Shizuru was just teasing her.

_Perhaps if I were to…_

She leaned into the redhead's ear so she could be heard her clearly. "Nao, you need to wake up or I'll have to call an ambulance and you did not want me to do that remember?"

_That should scare her awake. _

It stunned Shizuru how rapidly the girl's face had changed. Her features had dramatically shifted from the serene slumbering expression she wore a moment before. She had now shut her eyes tighter as if she was fighting off a frightening image from a nightmare. Her face was now scrunched into an uncomfortable expression.

"No, don't do that, they'll take me away from my mom…." came a nearly inaudible whimper.

It had surprised Shizuru; not just the answer that Nao had given her but the exposure that accompanied the answer. Shizuru could see the fear etched in her face and hear it in her voice.

Nao had never discussed her family with any of the Himes as far as she knew. She had just assumed that everything had gone back to normal for everyone after the Hime festival.

_But what had Nao's __**normal **__been like before the festival had started?_

Deciding that this was as the best opportunity she would probably have to uncover honest answers from the younger girl; even if she did feel slightly ashamed at taking advantage of her current state, Shizuru continued questioning her.

"Why would they take you away?" she asked curiously.

"'Cause minors can't live on their own," she mumbled in her sleep.

_She's not living with her mother?_

Shizuru pressed on.

"Where is your mother Nao?" she whispered into her ear.

"In the hospital," came another dazed response, "in a coma."

Shizuru struggled for breath after hearing the redhead's dazed revelation, her eyes widening with disbelief. A barrage of thoughts began plaguing her mind all at once;_ how long had the younger girl been living on her own? Why had she not told anyone? _

She felt her chest tighten as she looked at the girl in front of her, her expressions were almost childlike when she was sleeping. And why shouldn't they be, she had only just begun high school.

_So young…_

She took this chance to look over the girls face again. Nao had a bruised cheek and a cut on the corner of her bottom lip. Shizuru's inspection was interrupted by the redhead's now fluttering eyes.

As Nao's eyes slowly opened, her lips curved into a small smile. She stared at Shizuru intently.

"Anyone ever tell you, that you got the strangest eyes," Nao said as she closed the distance between their faces so that they were only a mere inch apart. Nao grabbed the other girls chin to closer examine her eyes.

Shizuru laughed nervously, a pink shade lightly colouring her cheeks at the sudden closeness. "Yes I have been told so by people…." her brain briefly lapsed as she sucked in some air; the unexpected scrutiny of her eyes only made Shizuru's blush darken, as the other girl's intense gaze explored her irises.

So this is how it felt to be on the receiving end of the teasing she normally inflicted upon other. _Karma. It was bound to happen to me someday I suppose. _She thought begrudgingly.

"Not strange…" Nao paused with a perplexed expression; she was searching for the right word, "…pretty would be a better word; me thinks," She finished her slurring with a giggle.

She used her curved index finger to trace up Shizuru's jaw line, then used her other fingers to trace downwards, her actions causing Shizuru to sharply intake a breath.

Her skin tingled under the redhead's soft caress; the unexpected touch sending shivers through out her body. Her breath hitched as Nao cupped her face, and used her thumb to trace circles lower along her cheek and stopping at the corner of her bottom lip. She felt her heart begin to beat violently when she felt the redhead brush her thumb along her bottom lip.

Shizuru swiftly caught the girl's hand roughly in her own and pulled it away from her face. When she saw the redhead's confused expression she gave her a small apologetic smile and stood up abruptly.

"Nao, I'm going to call someone, I need you to stay awake." She said swiftly walking away.

* * *

Shizuru blushed at the memory. Then immediately scolded herself; Nao was living on her own, and here she was thinking about something insignificant the redhead did while she was disoriented.

When Youhko had come by to check on Nao, Shizuru had left out the part about the redhead's living situation; although now the brunette was not sure about what to do…or if she should do anything at all.

_Of course I should…but what?_

Nao wasn't exactly the type to accept help when offered.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the vibrations of her phone. Looking at the screen, Shizuru's grim frown immediately turned into a bright smile.

The name on the phone read **Natsuki Kuga**.

* * *

Nao squinted as glimmers of the sun's rays somehow managed to leak through both the tightly closed blinds and the drawn curtains. She let out an exasperated sigh as she lay face up on her bed. Her head was throbbing at the sight of the stray beams that were catching her half-lidded eyes. Turning to her side she looked at the alarm clock on top of her bedside table, which was currently flashing 8:15 AM.

She groaned.

_Fuck off sun, you're disrupting my sleep…_

Throwing her bed covers over her head, she shut her eyes firmly, hoping with a little bit of luck that sleep would once again take her.

She waited.

There was no such luck.

_Just as well, I don't believe in luck anyway. _She groaned her bed covers off of her body, she glanced at the alarm clock once more. Only 5 minutes had passed since she had woken up. She contemplated whether she should go to class, or perhaps do something that was actually productive…like go "earn" some money.

_Either way I'd have to get my ass out of bed and into the bathroom. _She made an attempt at getting up.

Her rushed effort to sit up, however, was followed by a sharp pain at the side of her head. The earlier throbbing she felt began to intensify. Clutching her head, she rested her back against the bed-board and began taking deep breaths, fighting off the drowsiness that was now taking over.

_Wait…_

Her fingers felt cloth at her head, where her hair should be. When had she wrapped her head in a bandage?

No, she couldn't have done it on her own…Nao had flunked first-aid, **t**_**wice**__. _She could barely get a band-aid to stick in the right place, let alone wrap a bandage around her head and clip it into place, by herself.

_What happened last night?_

Only when she had glanced down at the floor and noticed the black denim jacket was not hers did the images of last night hit her all at once. Memories of being attacked, memories of half walking half being carried by Shizuru to her apartment swirled in her mind. Her throbbing head began to pound even harder.

She tried to steady her breathing and remember everything; point by point.

She had been attacked by that smelly old man she had robbed. Said man had other men with him…men in black. Oh and they had guns.

Nao hated guns.

Fujino had…saved her? Not only saved her, but had brought her back home and bandaged her up? And had put her to bed?

Blurry images overlapped one another. Her headache was making very difficult to concentrate on remembering the actual events of last night; let alone what it all meant.

Did Fujino know about her living condition? Had they gone to the hospital?

And why had Fujino of all people saved her?

Fujino who had killed her child; Julia (and indirectly her mother) not even a year ago. The redhead winced at the painful clenching of her heart at the thought of her mother dying.

Nao had been taught from an early age that she could trust no one. When her mother was attacked and put into a coma; the relatives who had come to her house every weekend, who she spent endless family gatherings with, and who had bought her presents every birthday…

Family…she thought they were her family.

Well all her "family" had done for her while her mother was in the hospital - was just leave her in an orphanage to rot.

Nao felt anger build up within her. She took a few breaths to keep her rage under control. Getting up off her bed, she slowly made her way to the bathroom, using the walls for support. The realization of what had happened the night before only made her throbbing head pound harder, and her mind filled with confusing thoughts.

She silently hoped that she had painkillers left in the medicine cabinet; it had been a while since she had gone shopping for anything that she deemed wasn't an immediate necessity.

Walking into the bathroom, she instantly noticed a piece of paper taped to her cabinet mirror. Taking a moment to take in her reflection, she noticed a bruise on her cheek and a cut right next to the right corner of her mouth.

_Must've happened when I fell on my FACE last night…_ she grimaced. She hated to admit it, but she had been quiet fortunate that Fujino had shown up when she did.

Maybe luck really did exist.

As much as she had hated Fujino in the past; she definitely owed her one. Her mother had always taught her to pay back those you owe. She glanced once more at her reflection, and lightly touched the cut below her lip. _If I ever find that old man, he will pay…count on it. _

She pulled the note off of the mirror and read the neat cursive writing.

_**Good Morning Yuuki-san,**_

_**I hope you have rested well. You must have noticed the bandage around your head by now. The reason your head is bound is because I phoned **__**Sagisawa-san**_ _**last night when you fell unconscious. You were adamant about not going to the hospital, but I had to be sure you were alright. She stitched up your head-wound and confirmed that you did indeed have a concussion.**_

_**Not to worry though, she concluded that with the proper medication, plenty of fluids and much rest, you would make a full recovery.**__** In the cabinet is the medication Sagisawa-san brought last night. Take one of each, and do not fall asleep…these require you to eat after ingestion.**_

_**Sagisawa-san would, however, like you to go into school tomorrow so she can follow up and make sure everything alright.**_

Nao groaned. She knew that when she went to school she was going to have to answer some questions.

* * *

Thirty minutes. That's how long Youko Sagisawa, or 'Doc' as Nao usually referred to her, had spent reprimanding Nao for putting herself in such a "dim-witted and life threatening situation." Thirty minutes of her life that Nao was never going to get back, and in which she had been called stupid for doing what she did because the Doc thought she was doing it just for "the fuck of it."

Yes those were her exact words.

Nao 's normally bored expression when listening to such speeches, had changed into one of cartoonish shock when she had heard the school doctor curse; with her eyes widening to 4 times their normal size and her mouth dropping about 3 meters. It was hardly her fault though. In the 2 years Nao had known her; Youko had hated whenever Nao had said anything remotely crude. She would normally shake her head at the girl and say there was never a good reason to use profanity.

_Hypocrite. _

She would have pointed it out to the Doc, but the she had not stopped her rant there; not even to breathe. When she had finally calmed down enough for Nao to even attempt speaking to her, **THOSE** questions had started.

The same questions the police asked whenever they caught her outside at an "unreasonable" hour; the same questions the teachers asked when she ditched class. The questions the Doc had gone 2 years without asking whenever Nao would show up to school late, or in the nursery complaining about a headache, or sleep deprivation.

_Guess you can't really ignore a head wound._ Nao thought bitterly.

Those questions were a joke, and Nao had heard them enough times (even if the words varied according to the person) to have rehearsed answers. They were always so vague and presumptuous.

_Why do you keeping doing this? _They would always ask, assuming that she got some cheap thrill out of doing it. So she'd reply with a simple, "Because I'm bored," which they always readily accepted.

Sometimes they wouldn't even allow her to answer it…sometimes they would just shake their heads sorrowfully and automatically follow it up with a "Is it because of your home life?"

Does your mother know about any of this? No and please don't call her, I don't want to get into trouble…I promise I'll stop.

As time went on Nao had become more and more convincing. It was all rather pointless really; they all acted like they cared. The police, the teachers, the Doc…it was their job to "care"…just the right amount. Nao was never truly punished for anything she did, and her mother was never actually called…if they could actually reach her that is.

They "cared" enough to tell her what she was doing was stupid…and left it at that.

All things aside Nao did like the Doc. She was sure that Youko had figured out that Nao conveniently needed to take a nap 10 minutes into her first class every Monday. But she didn't say anything to Mashiro, Fumi, or the student council. Nao had a sneaking suspicion that as much as she groaned about the redhead coming in every Monday; that the Doc actually quite liked her as company. Nao liked her company as well, though she'd never admit it. Being with doc was much more entertaining than learning about quadratic equations.

_Wonder which dumbass decided to schedule math first thing Monday…_Nao thought as she stepped out of the nursery wrapped up in her thoughts.

Although she liked the Doc, she had wished that Fujino hadn't called her last night. Her head was now throbbing after coming out of that session of 20 questions; she would have rather not had anyone else know…

Fujino. She let out a frustrated growl as her thoughts once again turned towards the crimson eyed girl. She knew…

Nao immediately felt the wind being knocked out of her as she was unexpectedly tackled onto the floor.

"NAO!" she heard the person on her back shout.

_Oh great now she calls my name?_

"Mikoto, get the fuck off of me before I kick you're a-"her verbal tirade was interrupted by someone calling the catlike girl's name.

"Mikoto? Get off of her," Nao arched her head to see the busty flame haired girl running towards them; stopping right by Nao's head. Panting she finished off her sentence, "what did I tell you about tackling people, eh Mikoto?"

The younger girl begrudgingly got off of Nao's back and looked down intently on the floor mumbling something that sounded to her like , "Not everyone appreciates being tackled…"

Once Mai had caught her breath she helped the younger redhead up. Grinning at Mikito she gave the braided brunette a pat on the head, "That's right Mikoto."

Turning to Nao, Mai apologized, explaining why the braied-brunette had been more keyed up then she normally was, "Fujino-san called us for Sagisawa-san's number last night, and when I talked to her this morning, Sagisawa-san said it had been you that was hurt and not Fujino-san. And when Mikoto didn't see you in class this morning she got worried…"

Nao looked at her classmate with an apologetic smile, regretting having yelled at her. "Hey," she called out softly for Mikoto to look up at her, once their eyes met she grinned. "No worries kitten, you know nothing can hold me down for long."

Mai grinned at their interaction as she witnessed Mikoto begin animatedly telling Nao what she had missed in the morning; while Nao looked on with a bored expression. She laughed internally at how the two girls were the same age and yet the complete reverse of one another. A short and all-too-innocent brunette and a tall-morally ambivalent redhead, they made quiet a pair. But they did share a mutual respect for one another and had somehow managed to form a bizarre semi-friendship based on that respect.

Nao had begun lazily looking at her nails as she listened to Mikoto talk about what she had missed in Maths class when she heard her name being called out once more from across the hall.

_For fucks sake…what now?_

Nao turned around to see her former roommate Aoi running towards her, dragging her out-of breath girlfriend along. "OH MY GOODNESS THE RUMORS ARE TRUE?" she heard the brunette exclaim. "Why do you have bandage on your head? What happened?"

_Oh there were rumours, terrific._

"Nothing, I just fell…" Nao mumbled as she averted her gaze from Aoi. Turning to her side she saw that the grey haired girlfriend of her ex-roommate had begun taping her with her cell phone, "Hey put that away? I don't do free videos."

"You're the talk of the school Nao, I need an exclusive expose." She reasoned, dodging Nao's attempts to get her cell phone.

Ignoring Chie's antics Aoi once again tried to get the redhead's attention, "And your head needed to be bandaged after you…fell?"

Nao stopped chasing after Chie and turned towards the brunette. She saw the sceptic look she was receiving from her ex-roommate and sighed. She was not in the mood to persuade the other girl; nevertheless she mustered up a captivating smile and tried to look sincere "It was a reeeally bad fall."

Aoi stared at her for a while before letting out a exhaling noisily, "Idiot, you should be more careful! I wish you hadn't moved out, I worry about you…"

"Well I couldn't take Chie's snoring anymore," Nao joked trying to steer the conversation away from any impending what-are-you-doing-with-your-life speeches; she'd had enough of those for the day.

Chie crossed her arms over her chest in a hurt manner, "Hey? I don't snore!" She looked from Nao, to her girlfriend and back to the grinning redhead once again.

Aoi shot her girlfriend a sympathetic look before trying telling her the truth, "Actually hun…"

As if on cue Chie's expression dramatically twisted one that was crestfallen, tears flowing rapidly from both her eyes. "What? How loud am I?" she looked to the redhead sure that her girlfriend would not tell her the truth.

Aoi tried to console the gray haired girl, rubbing her back. "You're not that loud…"

"Yuuki, how loud am I?" Chie asked pouting. From behind the her, Nao saw her ex-roommate signal her to down play her girlfriends snoring, adding a cut throat motion while pointing at Nao for effect as if to say 'you're dead if you don't'. Nao scoffed, Chie sounded like a beast when she snored.

Nao gave an innocent grin before answering, "Yea sure, you're about as quiet…" adding a pause for dramatic effect "… as quiet as Kuga's bike."

Chie visibly deflated at Nao's words, and began clutching her heart in a theatrical pose. "Why did no one ever tell me," she exclaimed looking pointedly at her girlfriend.

Aoi sensing she might be in trouble; quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of…I haven't seen Natsuki around, where is she?"

She looked intently at Mai.

Understanding the hint, Mai was quick to answer Aoi's question, "Yea she left a couple of weeks ago, she went on a trip somewhere, wouldn't tell me where she was going…she said that she'd be back in a few weeks."

Chie instantly stopped crying and put her finger to her chin pondering what she had just said, "Well isn't that suspicious." Quickly pulling out two cell phones, she began pushing buttons simultaneously with both hands at a rapid rate.

Aoi sent a discreet smile to Mai and saw her return a grin. Chie could be so easy to distract. Letting out a gasp, Aoi had suddenly realized that Natsuki was already under supervision for her poor attendance record. "Isn't Natsuki going to get into more trouble if she's absent?"

"She asked Youkino for a favour," Mai replied as if the answer was apparent.

"Psh, she's got quite a pull with the presidents of this school doesn't she?" Chie looked up from her phones grinning, "one wonders how she repays such favour-" her joke was cut off by Aoi's smack across her head.

"Why are you always such a PERVE!"

"It was just a joke…"

They're arguing was broken up by Mikoto's sudden collapse on the floor.

"Mikoto?" yelled Mai as she sat down next to the girls head, checking her over. She was followed by the others as they all gathered around the girl. A thunderous growl rang out through the halls emanating from the unconscious girl.

"Mai, so…hungry" she whimpered as she opened her dazed eyes.

The 4 seated girls surrounding her, face-palmed in unison.

Nao rolled her eyes.

Getting up off of the floor, she began walking away, "As interesting as this is, I'm going home," she said over her shoulder, as she made her way towards the main entrance.

"But it's only the end of third period!" Mai called out from where she was sitting. Ignoring her, the younger redhead kept on walking.

"That's two more periods then she normally stays for," answered the catlike girl that was now clutching onto Mai. She looked up at her with pleading eyes and her voice rang through-out the school…

"Maiiiiiii, FOOOOOOOOOD!"

* * *

It was dark; long after sunset. Nao walked through the grime; crossing the street and further into the thick smog. Her senses no longer felt assaulted by this part of Fuka as they once had; she had grown accustomed to it, to the bright neon signs suggestively displaying feminine silhouettes.

In this part of Fuka both garbage and women littered the streets waiting to be picked up. The never-ending fog of cigarette smoke and exhaust fumes only intensified the claustrophobic atmosphere of the overly crowded streets.

She was in the slums of Fuka; and lately this is the only place Nao felt truly at home.

Here, there were no rules. These streets allowed people to escape their own existence, and be anyone they wanted to be. They were no longer constricted by the boundaries of society. Not that she ever she partook in any of those unsavoury activities…no she had her own.

These streets were dark and damaged; and on many levels they were an extension of Nao's consciousness. They represented how she felt, that's why she enjoyed vanishing in them. Everyone that walked through these streets, walked alone.

Nao turned a corner and walked into an alley, briskly making her way to the back of the building at the end of the alleyway. A tan backdoor was the only means of entry to the building. Without hesitation she violently kicked down the door in front of her; revealing a small storage room in which the only two other occupants had fearfully dropped the cards that they had been playing with moments ago.

"Where is he?" Nao demanded, wasting little time and extending her nails.

"I-in th-the bar," the taller man stuttered, pointing at the door across from where he was sitting.

Retracting her nails, Nao walked over to the other door and swung it forcefully, nearly ripping it off its hinges. She was greeted by the stench of cigarettes, body odour and alcohol, and a screen of haze. When the smoke had cleared, she quickly began scanning the bar for who she was looking for.

Spotting her prey sitting at the end of the bar in a hooded sweat shirt, Nao swiftly made her way towards him, fists clenched at her sides. Careful not to alert him, she stealthily managed to sit in the stool next to him; the man too preoccupied at staring at the drink he seemed to be nursing.

The bartender approached her, looking her over once before asking what she would like to have.

"I think I'll have, what my friend Yamada here is having," she said calmly placing her hand on his shoulder, gripping it tightly so he couldn't escape.

Yamada quickly turned his face towards the new comer, whose voice he vaguely recognized. When he saw the glint of aggression in the now hard lime eyes, he wished he hadn't turned his eyes away from his whiskey.

Though her voice was still calm, Yamada could still here an edge that frightened him lacing her words, "I've been trying to call you all day Yamada, why have you been screening my calls huh?"

"Been busy," he sniffed, wincing as he began to feel her nails digging into his shoulders. He grimaced at his own stupidity, agitating her was not the best idea.

The locals here all knew to stay away from the red-haired beauty. Although her Hime powers were not common knowledge to anyone outside of those who had been involved in the festival, the locals had noticed that the she tended to lead men twice her age into alleys. Although no one would bat an eyelash at that kind of behaviour on these streets, it was rare to see a girl come out of these altercations unscathed. And even rarer was the fact that while she remained untouched, the men who had followed her, always managed to become knocked out cold and robbed of all their money. They all wondered how a teenage girl could repeatedly beat these men.

But he knew.

Yamada had been indirectly involved in the Hime festival, working behind the scenes as Natsuki Kuga's informant on district one.

"How about you don't piss me off seeing as how I haven't exactly had the best 2 days, kay?" she said, her voice only tightening slightly. She gave him a cruel smile, which promised him a world of pain if he did not co-operate.

He sighed; trying to keep his hands from trembling, he began clenching his fists. "What can I do for you Nao?"

"I need some information. You hear about what happened to me yesterday?"

He nodded. She shouldn't have bothered asking; Yamada knew about everything that happened. He was the best informant in the city.

"Do you know who was behind it?"

He lowered his gaze onto the counter and thought for a while; absently stroking his chin. "No." he paused. He had his theories as to who had attacked her, but did not want to inform the girl just yet.

Truthfully he did not really want to get involved. That had been the reason he had been avoiding her calls.

"It may take a few weeks…to find out…" he said as he turned back towards her.

Letting go of his shoulder, she took the glass offered to her by the bartender, downing the shot easily. "Put it on his tab," she told the bartender, pointing towards a relieved looking Yamada.

Leaving the bar, Nao dove into the crowded streets; satisfied that revenge would be hers soon. She was going to make those bastards pay.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello Everyone! No I have not given up on this story, I'm just trying to figure out how to get it to where I want it to go...so as you'll see a little bit of the plot will come into play towards the end of the chapter. Also I know the Shizuru is a little...reserved in this chap but have no fear i will do ShizNao justice...eventually :P Don't want them to move too fast now.

First few chaps will have more on character...the plot will pick up later.

A special thanks to reviewers! **AshwolfX, aznphoenix95, Eclipz, venus30, catco, Major Mike Powell III, animeaddict007, MissIzzyB. **You guys are awesome. Thank you for your comments, they're very motivating. If I missed anyone out, sorrryyyy I can't open another tab to check cause my laptop is spazzing.

A special thanks to **octave. **

Sorry that it's late. Enjoy.

* * *

Nao glared intently at the piece of paper in her hands, telepathically willing it to burst into flames. Growling loudly, she crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it across the room, not caring in particular where it landed. Practically ripping the fridge door off of its hinges, she peered inside. Empty!

'_Right, those don't fill themselves…' _

Walking over to the window, the anger she had felt - at the piece of paper she had found nailed to her apartment door - was now giving way to a sense of dread. She looked helplessly out of her window, at the city below; those three bold words still flashing repeatedly in her mind.

**FINAL RENT NOTICE:**

'_What am I going to do?'_

She had intended to pay her rent late as usual; her old landlord had been a kindly old man who allowed her to give what she could, when she could. Nao had usually paid the full amount though; she had hated feeling like she was a charity case. He had never asked her questions about why she lived alone, which is what she had appreciated most of all about him; he left her alone. She had been saddened to learn about his death, he was a gentle soul in a cold world, and so unlike most of the men she met.

His son, and current landlord of her apartment, unfortunately was like most of the men she met; slimy and hid behind a business suit. It often made her want to laugh; how something as simple as an expensive looking jacket and trousers, gave people an air of authority and therefore a false appearance of respectability. But she knew different, that men in suits were often the worst of men, and the ones to readily fall for her ruses with little effort on her part.

She had seen it in the son's eyes when he had told her that his father informed him of her 'living situation' before he had passed away. "He told me to look after you" he had said with a repulsive smile, then added a wink for effect. When she had rebuffed his "subtle" advances he had told her she had needed to pay off her outstanding rent or she would be evicted. The 'Final Notice' stated that she had only two weeks or he would contact the police.

Her eyes absently scanned over the bustling streets of Fuuka as everyone made their way home in the evening rush. The sun was setting in the distance, changing the orange-tint of the sky into dark red.

"Crimson,"Nao found herself saying out loud with a slight shudder. Gasping, she shook her head and moved towards her couch; pulling her legs under her as she sat. Three days had gone by since she had been attacked in the alley, and she was frequently reminded of that colour…frequently reminded of her.

Nao did not understand why Fujino had risked her life to save her, gone out of her way to carry her back to her apartment, and then call the Doc to make sure she was alright. She felt as though she was missing something, that there might be an ulterior motive she could not see behind Fujino's actions.

"None of us can change our past mistakes," Fujino had said to her in that alley, "but I can help you now." It had taken a long time for her to even begin piecing together the conversation they had in the alley that night, and she could not remember most of what was said; but that sentence and the determined expression that had accompanied it, had somehow remained clear in her mind, despite her concussion. Although experience was telling her not to trust Fujino's words, her gut was telling her that Fujino was being sincere. She had seen something in the brunette's eyes as she said it, something different.

They were the same eyes that had haunted her nightmares, months after the carnival had ended. They were the same eyes, and yet they were no longer cold, merciless and bloodcurdling. They had been the opposite that night…

Letting out a frustrated groan, she got up from the couch determined to put Fujino out of her mind. She had more pressing matters to think about; like rent and hospital bills. Glancing out of her window, she saw that the sun had already set.

"Perfect," she smirked; she needed to go earn some money.

* * *

"Fujino!"

Shizuru heard a shout before two fingers snapped themselves repeatedly in front of her eyes. Slightly dazed, she blinked twice before her eyes were able to regain any focus, the face of an angry Haruka Suzushiro coming into sight. She winced internally, and tried to estimate how long the angry blond had been trying to get her attention.

"I apologise Haruka, my mind seems have gotten the better of me today," she said flashing a strained smile, "what were you saying?"

Haruka made a vague sound in her throat, and turned her attention to the cup of coffee in front of her mumbling the words 'typical bubuzuke woman' before taking a sip. This earned a chuckle from the raven haired boy sitting beside them and a widened smile from Shizuru herself.

They were sitting at the terrace of a popular local café near their university. It was a pleasant summer day, a cool breeze flowing through the air. Reito and Shizuru had gone to class earlier that morning, and had called Haruka to join them for a cup of coffee after class had ended.

"You have been awfully distracted as of late Shizuru, is everything alright?" Reito asked, concern etching his characteristically placid features.

"Have I?" She asked quietly, glancing at him, her lips thinning faintly.

"Bubuzuke, even I've noticed it, and I'm not the most perspective person," Haruka deadpanned. Shizuru bit back the urge to say, '_it's perceptive Haruka,' _instead giving her a warm smile. Her friends had been patient with her today.

"What have you been thinking about constantly for the last few days?" Reito asked quirking his brow suspiciously.

Shizuru cringed on the inside, the smile on her face unwavering. 'They have been patient for much longer then just today it seems…'

Her mind had been wandering endlessly at trying to solve the mystery that surrounded the girl she had followed into the alley four days ago; a girl she thought she knew. She mentally shook her head, she had no idea who Yuuki Nao really was, and her only real interaction before that night in the alley had been during the carnival.

She winced at that thought. Yes, the only real interaction she had had with Nao was when she tried to kill her for kidnapping Natsuki.

"See! YOU'RE DOING IT NOW!" Haruka's voice boomed, interrupting Shizuru's thoughts once again. She looked up to see the former Executive Director pointing an accusing index finger in her direction. She quickly apologized to Haruka, blaming her lack of concentration on a small headache.

"Really a headache, how did you ever get through a day as Fuuka's president."

"Well I had your abilities to rely on Haruka, of course."

"That is very true," Haruka replied, puffing out her chest.

Shizuru grinned at her friend's predictability. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Reito staring at her curiously, she did not worry however, Reito would not pry. Her avoidance had made it clear to him that she did not want to talk about it and he would respect her need for privacy.

Haruka's cell phone began to vibrate, drawing Shizuru's attention. By the grin on her face she had a pretty good idea whose name was displayed on the screen.

"Hey Yukino," Haruka answered cheerfully, causing both of her friends to look at her and then at one another with sly smirks. Witnessing their interaction, Haruka frowned, giving them a threatening glare before standing up and walking away to continue her phone conversation elsewhere.

"I'm happy for them," Reito sighed, his smirk now a small smile as he watched his blond friend stop a few meters away.

"As am I," Shizuru replied turning around so that she was now looking at the vibrant Haruka speaking animatedly on the phone. Even at this distance, she could see that her friends face was glowing; her smile was always wider when she spoke to Yukino, as if it were reserved only for her. Shizuru felt her heart twinge. She was happy for them, but she could not help but feel a little jealous.

"Ara, so what are your plans for tonight Reito?" Shizuru spoke suddenly, turning back towards him. She did not want to dwell over her feelings, over-analysing herself was never in her best interest.

"I'm having dinner with my sister tonight," he said, smiling.

She could not help but smile back. Reito had become a devoted brother over the past year, attending various Kendo matches, taking Mikoto out on the weekends and even hosting sleepover parties. He even attended parent-teacher meetings alongside Mai and had even offered to have Mikoto live with him rather than on campus.

"She is very lucky to have you in her life," she said, looking at him warmly.

"Honestly I think it has been the other way around," He answered softly, turning his head towards the trees, watching the branches sway as a gust of wind blew past the leaves. He continued staring at the trees, almost transfixed by their movement. When he spoke, his voice was gentle and quiet…absent.

'_Lost in his own memories I suppose,' _Shizuru smiled sadly, '_aren't we all.'_

"After the carnival I did not want to see her, to see anyone. I could not face them," He said, taking a deep breath, "So I hid from her like a coward and hoped that she would forget I existed. I did not want to remind her of the past..."

Shizuru was engrossed by his confession. He had not told her any of this before; she assumed that their sibling bond had been instantaneous and that the carnival's events had not affected them.

"One day after class I found her sitting on the front steps of my door, it was raining and it looked as though she had been waiting for a while." He turned towards her and continued, "I asked her to come inside but she refused saying that what she had to do would only take a moment…"

"What she had to do?" Shizuru asked, lifting her eyebrows. She could see a glint in his eyes as he tried to suppress a smile. She reached her hand out and took the now cold cup of tea in front of her and began sipping on it, as she waited for Reito to continue his story.

"Yes, I caught that too," he said cryptically, as he beamed and stared intently at his friend take another sip. "She punched me."

Shizuru coughed, chocking on the tea she had been sipping.

"Excuse me?" she said in between her fits of coughing.

"She punched me." He replied as blasé as he had the previous time. The laughter in his eyes, however, told Shizuru that he had timed her sipping perfectly.

"Why?" She asked still taken aback by Reito's revelation. She had not known about the struggle in their now close-knit relationship, she had assumed everything had been alright, and although she knew Mikoto was hardly harmless, she could not imagine her actually hurting anyone – especially Reito - under normal 'non-carnival' circumstances.

"Ah, I believe Mai had made a comment about someone needing to knock some sense into me when Mikoto had told her about my avoiding her…" he let out a chuckle before continuing, "Mikoto took her advice literally."

Shizuru could not help but laugh at the mental image of Reito getting punched by his younger sister. She felt herself sober up from the jollity when she saw the now serious expression on Reito's face.

"Sometimes we impose our own thoughts on others to feel as though we are being martyrs. Mikoto had forgiven me long ago, it was I who needed to come to terms with myself."

"_I suppose it was foolish of me to think that not everyone was affected by last year…,"_ she thought as he continued speaking.

"She really did knock sense into me you see…she needed me in her life, and I was depriving her of knowing the only family she had left, because I was not comfortable with being around her. I was not worried about reminding her of the past…" he paused trying to collect his thoughts, "She was a reminder of a part of me that I feared. I was the one that was afraid of remembering."

"And how did you get over that?"

"Well, I'm not sure I'm completely over it…" Reito said, leaning back into his chair, closing his eyes.

"My, that sounds reassuring," Shizuru mumbled as she reached for her now ice-cold tea and took another sip.

With his eyes still closed Reito smiled at her, tilting his head upwards, he began to speak once again.

"But I made sure she knew I was there for her, and now our relationship is not defined by our past…"

* * *

Nao absently walked throughout the sterile halls, instinctively manoeuvring her way around the hospital's normally chaotic activity. She kept her head down, weaving through the doctors and nurses wheeling critical patients into surgery, hungry lawyers trolling for potential clients and dazed loved ones of the people who were the cause of all this commotion. Nao sympathized with the last group, remembering that she too had once sported the confused expressions they all shared, bewildered as to why tragedy had befallen their loved ones.

She walked to the reception desk, an unfamiliar face sitting by the computer. The girl looked slightly older then herself; her brown hair neatly pulled up into a tight ponytail, her scrubs spotless and crisply ironed. As she drew closer, she could see subtle traces of make-up on the girl's face. She scoffed.

'_Definitely a newbie,' _she concluded satisfied with her observations.

Nao stood in front of the desk waiting for the newbie to acknowledge her presence, impatiently shifting her weight from one leg to the other. When she saw that the newbie was staring intently at something on the monitor, she closed her eyes and let out a subtle cough, causing the girl in front of her to jump out of her chair.

"Oh hello there, I didn't see you," the newbie laughed nervously scratching the back of her head.

Nao bit back the urge to snap at the girl for stating something so obvious, and put a false smile on her face. She came to the hospital regularly; she could not afford to ruffle anyone's feathers. She knew how important pretences were when exposed to the same people multiple times.

"That's alright," she replied in faux-cheer, "I'm here to visit a patient."

"Um, alright, may I have the name of the patient please?" newbie asked hesitantly looking at the computer with what Nao could only associate with the apprehensive way she herself looked at her maths textbook.

'_Oh god, please don't let this be her first day.' _

"Name please?" newbie asked.

"Yuuki, Aiko," Nao felt a familiar pull at her heart when she said her mother's name, a feeling which only dulled a little with each visit.

"One moment please," the newbie replied, a look of intense concentration crossing her features as she looked down at the keyboard before her.

Nao raised an eyebrow as she saw the girl bite down on her lower lip.

*Click*

Oh god.

*Click*

'_Oh you have got to be kidding me!' _

Was newbie using only one finger to type in her mother's name?

"What are you doing?" Nao asked in an even voice, not being able to muster the false cheer she had demonstrated earlier.

"Um, trying to find the room number?"

"Oh, not necessary, I already know it." Nao said, tapping her foot impatiently, "I just need to sign in and a visitors pass."

Newbie handed her the pass and began rummaging through the papers at her desk. Nao balled her hands at her sides; this was getting ridiculous, she knew more about hospital policy then this person.

'_And why shouldn't I? I've probably been coming here longer than most of these nurses have been employed at this stupid hospital,' _she thought bitterly.

"Sorry, it's my first week," newbie laughed nervously, "I forgot where they keep the sign in sheets…"

"Second drawer to your right," she said automatically, "you could've just asked."

The brown haired girl looked up from the pile of paper, puzzled. Nao nodded her head towards the drawer she was referring to and waited for her to open it. The girl reached over to the drawer and opened it.

"Oh," was the newbie's response when she had found what she had been searching for, her face flaming. She handed it over to Nao, her head down, avoiding eye contact with the red head.

Nao signed quickly and gave it back to her, making her way to her mother's room - leaving behind a dumbfounded nurse.

* * *

She sat in her mother's room in silence, comforted only by the two sounds that were a constant in this room, the beeping of the heart monitor and the pumping of the ventilator. As long as those two sounds remained stable - the doctors had said - it meant that her mother was alright.

She frowned.

No, her mother was not alright. She hadn't been alright for a long time now.

Nao took her mother's hand and inhaled a shaky breath.

"Hey mom," she began, looking down at her mother's face. The doctors had taken off the bandages shortly after the Hime carnival had concluded, all of the visible injuries from her mother's attack healing; with only a small 2 inch scar remaining across her neck. She twitched in anger every time she saw it, repeating a promise of retribution to make every single slimy bastard pay for her mother's pain.

"I just spoke to your doctor, and he gave me some good news…he said that you're improving," her voice was wavering, the doctor had said that there had been signs of "slight improvement" when it came to her mother's brain activity, but she had latched onto it all the same. "Slight Improvement" was better than no improvement at all.

"You hear that mom," Nao held back a sob threatening to escape, "You're getting better, just like I always said you would." She felt tears begin to stream down her face, but she kept her voice light. If her mother could somehow hear her, she did not want to worry her by sobbing at her bedside as she had when she was younger. She wanted to remain strong for her mother.

"And you're going to keep getting better, isn't that right? 'cause you and I…we don't give up. Isn't that what you taught me mom, not to give up?" She tightened her grip around her mother's hand, trying to reassure herself more than anything, "I'm not giving up on you mom, so don't you dare think about giving up on me."

Nao cried quietly, tears falling silent as she sat by her mother's bed. When she could no longer cry, she stood up. Bending down to kiss her mother's forehead, she grew more resolute that she would do everything in her power to stay strong for her mother and overcome the obstacles that have come her way.

* * *

Nao slammed the refrigerator door, frustrated once again at its lack of contents. She had decided to skip school today; after getting home late from a successful hunt the night before. That in turn meant the she did not have a chance to go to the school cafeteria, which was where she usually ate her two meals a day.

'_Guess I've got to order take-out again.'_

Reaching for the phone, she began dialling the number of her favourite restaurant. After quickly ordering her "usual" Nao put the receiver of the telephone down, and contemplated hunting again tonight.

Going out too often could be risky, but she needed more money.

A light knocking noise interrupted her internal debate. She lifted an eyebrow. She had not been expecting anyone, and her landlord had given her 2 weeks to gather the money, so it would not be him. She wondered if it would be better to just ignore the knocking until the person went away.

Another round of rapid knocks drew her attention towards the door. This time they had been a little louder.

Nao cautiously moved towards the entrance of her apartment, putting herself in level with the peep-hole she closed her other eye to better see who was on the other side of her door.

She gasped. Stepping away from the door, she rubbed her eyes and looked through the peep-hole once again.

No, it wasn't a mistake. She quickly unlocked the various bolts and turned her knob. Opening the door revealed that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.

There, in front of her, stood Shizuru Fujino carrying a brown paper bag.

* * *

The old man walked into the darkened room, his heart beating rapidly. He closed his eyes trying to adjust his pupils to the drastic change in lighting as he blindly moved forward. The doors had automatically locked themselves behind him and the room was now shot into complete darkness.

'_Why did they have to choose me to do this?' _

He knew it was an embarrassing thought. He was the most feared gang-leader on the streets of Fuka, he should not be afraid of anyone. No one had known of his true identity except for a few select men he had personally chosen to handle everyday 'business' for him, while he kept up appearances as the hard-working CEO of a successful textile company.

But these people had always known who he was; they were the ones responsible for who he is now.

He heard a robotic click, and a burst of white light flooded his sight. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned away from the light, holding his hands out in front of him. He waited for the power of the beam to be lowered; he had been doing this longer then he had liked. Longer than he had been tucking his children goodnight, longer then he had a wife, longer than any of it.

"If you could have anything in the world, what would you ask for?" the man in the black coat and hat had asked him that fateful night in that crowded bar.

He cringed at the memory of how pathetic he must have looked…and sounded.

"Power," he had replied bitterly, looking down intently at his drinking, swirling it with his finger, "Money and power."

_Power._

He would laugh if it was not so sad, and if it was not him that this was happening to. It had taken him years to realise that it had all been an illusion. But by then it was too late, he was no longer gambling with his own fortune, with his own life. Now, he was married, had two beautiful daughters and a wife he loved deeply.

'_Would I have them, had I not made that deal with that man,' _he often found himself wondering. He doubted it.

Before they had been married, his wife had been a very talented dancer performing in a successful show. He had been enamoured with her, as soon as she had come on to the stage; captivated by her beauty. He had fallen in love with her right there on that stage, his heart leaping along with her as she danced intensely. He had begun courting her that night, as soon as the show had ended; offering to fly her to Paris for the weekend. She had not believed him, but agreed on a whim.

A weekend in Paris, a week in Rome and the rest was history. The money may not have been the only reason she had married him, but it had certainly been a helping factor.

"Report," a sharp robotically altered voice barked.

"My men are keeping an eye on those girls, ready to strike when you give me the order."

"Excellent."

"Did you get the information you needed when we attacked them?"

"Yes, your performance was most satisfactory ."

The old man scoffed, he had not been performing when he had thought that red-eyed bitch was going to kill him. His screams were those of genuine fear, and these sadistic bastards just watched as he was thrown across the street and through the glass pane of a store.

As if reading his thoughts, the mysterious voice began to speak once again, "You will be greatly compensated for your aid in our monitoring activities and for your further assistance, ."

The old man scoffed. They almost made it sound like he had a choice.

"That all?" he quirked a brow, he was beginning to get anxious. He had been working for them for nearly 40 years, but this dark room and monotone voice still unnerved him. Everything about this still unnerved him, and that feeling had only intensified when they had told him to begin monitoring these "special" girls.

"Yes, that will be all Mr. Toshi, we will contact you when you're needed."

A robotic click signalled the unlocking of the automatic doors and the spotlight quickly began to dim. The old man wasted no time and rushed out of that room, he was going home; to the three people he cared most for…the reason he still did this.

The reason he remained a puppet for people he had never set eyes on his entire life.

* * *

Sorry for cutting the ShizNao scene out for now, i really wasn't happy with what I wrote.

Thank you guys for being so patient, and for the reviews they really do help.


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